Candidates, county renounce campaign calls that claim to be Brian Berger

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- During election season, automated calls from candidates are nothing out of the norm, but last night and this morning some New Hanover County voters got one with what sounds like unexpected endorsements from Commissioner Brian Berger.

"This is Brian Berger, New Hanover County Commissioner," the robo-call says. "Please support my two good friends Woody White and Michael Lee. Please vote for them as you would vote for me. Thank you. Your county commissioner, Brian Berger."

This message is what folks are saying they heard over a call that showed up from a county government number.

"Apparently there are ways you set up calls and mask the identities," New Hanover County Manager Chris Coudriet said.

Coudriet says they have looked into it, and the robo-calls did not come from the New Hanover County Government Center.

"We are not part or party to any calls that have been made," he said.

Other viewers say the call they got came from Berger's phone.

"The two calls I got had Brian Berger's cell number," WWAY viewer Cookie Armstrong said on Facebook. "Did they take his phone away? If not, they are probably coming for him."

What makes this story so strange is Berger and White have butted heads for months. Berger was even quoted calling White "a bully."

Coudriet says this scam has hurt the county government's credibility.

"I never want anyone to lose confidence in their county government," he said.

Both Lee and White renounced the calls.

We tried reaching out to Berger, but we have not heard back.

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Hey Chris- more important than another robo call is --which county employee stole info from Berger's confidential personnel file(only a few had access?) and why did you and Wanda Copley do nothing?
Lee and White are political thugs- lets take a look at some real slime ball tactics -the gang up on Brian?
There seem to be two different tacts here- one for the old crowd -another for others- A lot of us are outraged at the political thuggery that you and others have engaged in at the expense of a troubled person.

I got the call from Brian and don't know why Woody called it a "fake call." I don't know about the "fake caller id" either as my caller id indicated Brian Berger was calling. I picked it up and thought it was funny. The best call this election season! What's not funny is Woody going to Washington. After wasting so much money and effort persecuting Brian, Woody's bad judgment means he shouldn't be elected dog catcher.

We shouldn't let these local politicians slime their way to higher office.

Meanwhile, Woody White, always sensitive to his constituents' well being, has directed his minions of robot callers to call the very same people and tell them about the first robocalls. Gee, thanks Woody for annoying us twice!

It would not surprise me if Woody White was behind all of it. He has been fixated on Brian Berger since he took office. You can never take anything about Brian for granted.......but I do not believe he would support Woody White. With his well known financial problems, I doubt he has the funds to pay for the robocalls. It will be hilarious if Woody was behind all of this......especially if it caused his removal from the county commission. Politics will become less sleazy when Woody White is no longer a politician.